Benefits & Relief

Benefits & Relief

USCIS Wastes Time and Money With Increased Vetting in Citizenship Processing

USCIS Wastes Time and Money With Increased Vetting in Citizenship Processing

The Trump administration has justified major changes to citizenship processing to “safeguard” the U.S. immigration system from application fraud. Yet the increased vetting has not lowered the number of approvals over the last few years, indicating an absence of fraud. The time it takes to approve those applications, however,… Read More

USCIS Upends the Lives of Immigrants by Refusing to Print Their Work Permits and Green Cards

USCIS Upends the Lives of Immigrants by Refusing to Print Their Work Permits and Green Cards

Update: On August 3, 2020, a federal court in Ohio granted a temporary restraining order requiring USCIS to print a work permit within 7 days for all individuals who had been approved for one. The Trump administration’s full-on assault on the U.S. immigration system has… Read More

USCIS Hasn’t Approved a Single Person for Liberian Legalization Program

USCIS Hasn’t Approved a Single Person for Liberian Legalization Program

A program created in late 2019 to allow certain Liberian noncitizens in the United States to become lawful permanent residents (LPRs) is falling far short of its potential, according to a new report. The program in question is Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF), a provision of the… Read More

If the Supreme Court Terminates DACA, President Trump Can Still Fix It

If the Supreme Court Terminates DACA, President Trump Can Still Fix It

The coronavirus has disrupted all our lives. Native-born Americans and noncitizens across the United States are experiencing many of the same challenges—the disruptions to day-to-day life, the struggle to find work to provide for their families, and the difficulties in obtaining adequate medical care. But many noncitizens are navigating these… Read More

Supreme Court Makes It Harder for Green Card Holders to Get Relief From Deportation

Supreme Court Makes It Harder for Green Card Holders to Get Relief From Deportation

In a 5-4 decision on April 23, the U.S. Supreme Court expanded the types of criminal offenses that bar green card holders from seeking a form of relief from deportation. The case, Barton v. Barr, is about who is eligible to apply for a form of… Read More

How the Coronavirus Is Disrupting USCIS Processing of Immigration Applications

How the Coronavirus Is Disrupting USCIS Processing of Immigration Applications

The coronavirus outbreak has significantly disrupted the operations of government agencies around the country, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS is the agency that processes applications for various types of immigration benefits. USCIS Changes Office Operations During Coronavirus Outbreak The USCIS Seattle office was the first to… Read More

Defense Spending Act Allows Thousands of Liberians to Apply for Permanent Residency

Defense Spending Act Allows Thousands of Liberians to Apply for Permanent Residency

The defense spending package for the fiscal year 2020 will allow thousands of Liberians living in the United States to gain green cards. The $738-billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was signed into law by President Trump in December. About 4,000 Liberians may now have a path to citizenship under this new law. Read More

The Supreme Court Heard a Major Case on DACA. Here’s What You Need to Know.

The Supreme Court Heard a Major Case on DACA. Here’s What You Need to Know.

The Supreme Court heard arguments on November 12 in three cases challenging President Trump’s attempted rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. The Court’s decision could have far-reaching consequences for DACA recipients and the limits of executive authority when it comes to immigration… Read More

'I Have DACA. No Matter What the Supreme Court Decides, I’ll Continue to Build American Communities.'

‘I Have DACA. No Matter What the Supreme Court Decides, I’ll Continue to Build American Communities.’

On November 12, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments regarding the legality of President Trump’s 2017 rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. The court’s decision will impact the ability of nearly 700,000 DACA recipients across the country to continue to live and work in… Read More

Congress Debates Current Policies That Make Life More Difficult for Immigrant Service Members and Their Families

Congress Debates Current Policies That Make Life More Difficult for Immigrant Service Members and Their Families

At a House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee Hearing on Tuesday, Congress heard testimony from experts about the impact of recent immigration policies affecting foreign-born military members, veterans, and their families. The witnesses addressed a myriad of policy changes surrounding the naturalization of service members and the separation of military families. Policy… Read More

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